The characters in these thirteen stories set in the mountains of east Tennessee struggle with both regret and renewal. Three children confront the reality of death, and the possibility of a returning, during a family camping trip; a lonely teacher endures both condemnation and forgiveness from a challenging student; a missionary's wife makes a surprising discovery about the true definition of love; a widower regains his confidence thanks to some unexpected help; an unlikely interchange between a depressed car salesman and a neglected housewife sparks a revival in them both. These and other characters discover unexpected turns even along the most familiar trails. They often find that where there are two or more, there is the potential for clarity and rebirth, even in the wilderness of lives they never saw coming.